Trooper hit by DUI driver while helping spun out drivers

A trooper inside his patrol car was hit by a suspected DUI driver after pulling over to help two other vehicles that hit ice and crashed.

Around 6 p.m. Tuesday, the trooper pulled onto the shoulder of I-90 west near Issaquah to assist two spun out drivers. He parked in front of the cars to protect them from oncoming traffic.

Shortly after, another car on the interstate lost control and crashed into the trooper’s patrol car. The driver was arrested for DUI.

The trooper was brought to the hospital with minor injuries. He was released Tuesday night.

Ice still coats many roads across Western Washington. Along highways and interstates, troopers have cleared crash after crash since Sunday.

In King County, troopers were called to 577 incidents between Sunday and Tuesday afternoon. In Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom Counties, troopers saw 316 crashes in that time. And in Pierce and Thurston County, state patrol dealt with 158 spin outs and collisions.

That’s more than 1,000 incidents in just 6 counties on the west side of the state.

“So we just really want people to slow down,” Trooper Rick Johnson said. “And if you don’t need to go, don’t.”